Man guilty of Sarah Payne murder

Sarah Payne went missing after a day at the beach

LONDON, England -- A 42-year-old man has been jailed for life after being found guilty of the murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne -- a case that sparked anti-paedophile protests in the UK.

Roy Whiting, who had a previous child sex conviction, was told by trial judge Richard Curtis that he was "every parent's nightmare" and should never be released.

The judge said: "You are indeed an evil man. You are in no way mentally unwell. I have seen you for a month and in my view you are a glib and cunning liar.

"My judgment is that you are and will remain an absolute menace to any little girl."

The part-time labourer and mechanic from Littlehampton, Sussex, had pleaded not guilty to the kidnap and murder at Lewes Crown Court in East Sussex.

Sarah disappeared on July 1 last year as she played with her sister Charlotte and two brothers, Lee and Luke, in a field close to her grandparents' home in West Sussex.

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Her murder caused widespread outrage and sparked a massive police hunt. It also prompted calls for tighter laws on sex offenders.

After a nationwide search, her naked body was found two weeks later, dumped near the A29 in West Sussex, about 15 miles from where she had vanished.

The murder attracted huge media coverage in Britain last summer and sparked a national campaign for tougher laws against paedophiles.

There were cheers of delight from the public gallery as the unanimous verdict against Whiting was read out by the foreman at the court.

As soon as the verdicts were declared, the court heard details of Whiting's previous conviction for the kidnap and indecent assault of a nine-year-old girl in 1995.

Sarah Payne's mother said after the verdict: "This doesn't make us happy but justice has been done. Sarah can rest in peace now."

Lynch mobs

National outrage at Sarah Payne's murder spiralled into nightly violence as lynch mobs gathered outside the homes of alleged paedophiles.

Fuelled by fear and fury, and armed with lists of supposed sex offenders, neighbours turned vigilante to mete out their own form of justice.

Houses were stoned and daubed with abuse, and cars were overturned and burned by crowds of protesters screaming for those accused to be hunted down, driven out and even to be castrated or executed.

In one case a paediatrician -- a doctor who specialises in the treatment of children -- was targeted because a mob believed her job title meant she was a paedophile.

The most notorious anti-paedophile protests were in Portsmouth, Hampshire, where residents began a nightly campaign of violent demonstrations outside the homes of alleged sex offenders.

The marches were eventually suspended as it emerged that five innocent families had been forced out of the estate.